Weekly Meal Plan #5

Monday: Catalina Meal
1 lb. ground beef
1 small to medium bottle Catalina Salad Dressing
1 T. chili powder
1 can kidney beans; rinsed and drained
1/2 box shell pasta
1/2 onion; diced
1 bag Chili Cheese Fritos
Shredded cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce

Brown hamburger and onion together; drain. Cook pasta and drain. Mix together all the ingredients and simmer. Serve with Chili Cheese Fritos, shredded cheese, and shredded lettuce.


Tuesday: Chicken salad croissant sandwiches and broccoli cheese soup
Soup:
1 onion; chopped
2 T. butter (I actually use a little less)
6 c. water
6 chicken bouillon cubes
8 oz. pasta
1 tsp. salt
2 (10 oz.) pkgs. chopped frozen broccoli
1/3 tsp. garlic powder
6 c. milk (I use fat free)
1 lb. Velveeta cheese (i like the 2%..less fat and tastes good)

Saute the onion in the butter. Add water and chicken bouillon cubes; heat to a boil. Add pasta and salt. Boil for 3 minutes. Stir in frozen broccoli and garlic powder. Cook for 4 minutes. Add milk and cubed cheese. Stir until cheese is melted.

Chicken Salad:
2 cooked chicken breasts; cubed
Mayo and few squirts of mustard ( I use reduced fat mayo--tastes the same to me). I combine it in a cereal bowl until it is pale yellow.
about 1/4 cup slivered almonds
Salt and pepper to taste
pinch of dill

I serve it on croissant bread with lettuce.

Wednesday: Hamburger Casserole
1 lb ground beef
4-6 potatoes
1/4 pkg. Velveeta Cheese
1 can corn
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Boil potatoes; mash. Mix hamburger and soup. Place in bottom of 8 x 8 pan. top with cubes of cheese, can of corn, and then mashed potatoes. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Thursday: Chicken Spaghetti
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
1/2 to 1 can chicken broth
1 can rotel
2 c. cubed cooked chicken
1 pkg. cooked spaghetti
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Friday: Out to eat

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday:Leftovers

Caught ya!!

I was downloading some pictures and came across these...I thought it was funny how the girls were sneaking into the candy and the camera and caught it all on film! Those two are something else somedays...but I wouldn't trade them for anything!

A picture of the photographer..she loves taking pictures. She gets this from her Pop and Papa!

What a yummy pre-breakfast snack!

Weekly Meal Plan

Monday: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Soup

I am going to use up some of the cans of soup we have in our pantry...very easy cooking =)

Tuesday: Creamy Chicken Spinach Soup

1 (9-ounce) package refrig. cheese tortellini
1 (14.5 ounce) can fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 ounce) cans reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (9 ounce) package frozen cooked diced chicken breast
1 cups fat-free milk
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper

Step One: Cook tortellini according to package directions, using 1 can broth instead of water. Step Two: Add soup and remaining ingredients, stirring well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until thoroughly heated.

Wednesday: Spaghetti

I am using a jar of spaghetti sauce....I know...homemade is much better... but I don't want to spend the time. I plan to serve green beans and bakery bread from the store. For the bread I usually brush on olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper, and spread a little minced garlic over the top. Very good and very simple!

Thursday: Buffalo Chicken Calzone

2 cups diced/shredded cooked chicken
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4-1/3 cup cayenne pepper sauce, Not sure if this is like hot sauce? I am going to use hot sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Mix together cooked chicken, shredded cheese, and pepper sauce. Roll out dough on flat surface and cut into 4-5 inch rounds. Place 1-2 tablespoons filling on one half of each round and seal closed pressing dough together. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Make sure to slice a hole in the calzones to let steam escape. Place on baking sheet/pizza stone and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.

It calls to serve it with Blue Cheese Dip, but we are going to use ranch instead.

Friday: Out to eat

Saturday/Sunday: Leftovers

Weekly Meal Plan

This week is going to be a short week for meals for our family. Jon will be gone next weekend so I plan to eat out or make sandwiches...something simple.

Monday: Savory Pot Roast (Never got to this one last week)

3 1/3 lbs. beef chuck roast

1 oz. pkg. ranch salad dressing mix

1.35 oz. pkg. onion soup mix

.87 oz. pkg. brown gravy mix

1/2 cup warm water

Place roast in slow cooker. Mix dry ingredients together and sprinkle over roast. Pour water into slow cooker around roast. Cover and cook on low setting for 6-7 hours.

Tuesday: Stuffed Spud Soup

2 lbs. frozen hash browns (I like to use the southern style ones), thawed

1/2 c. butter

chopped green onion

1 (10 oz.) can cream of chicken soup

salt and pepper to taste

3 to 4 c. half and half (I use milk instead)

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Parsley flakes or chopped chives for garnish

Saute onion in butter. Add soup, half and half, and thawed potatoes. Stir in cheese and heat gently. Garnish and serve. Serves 8-10 people.

Cornbread

1 (9 oz.) pkg. white cake mix (I just use half of a box mix)

1 (9 oz.) pkg. Jiffy corn muffin mix

2 eggs

1/3 c. milk

1/3 c. water

1/4 c. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together all ingredients, blending well. Let stand 5 minutes. Pour into greased 8x8 inch pan. Bake 10 minutes; reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake 15-20 minutes more or until toothpick comes out clean. Makes 9 servings.

Wednesday:Chicken enchiladas

half pkg. of frozen cooked grilled or fajita chicken strips (I like Tyson)

1 large can enchilada sauce

1/2 to 1 pkg. shredded cheddar cheese

1 pkg. tortillas

1 small container of sour cream

Warm chicken up in skillet. In separate bowl, mix together sour cream and cheese. Add a little enchilada sauce to help thin out. Add chicken and stir together. Spoon about 1/4 to 1/3 c. mixture into each tortilla and roll up. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the tops and sprinkle with cheese. bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes until warmed through.

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday:???

Saturday:???

Sunday: Mac N Cheese and Chicken Nuggets

Weekly Meal Plan

Monday: Ozark Sloppy Joes

1-1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1 1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce

8 hamburger buns

In a large skillet, cook the beef, green pepper, and onion on medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in sugar, flour, seasonings, tomato sauce, and worcestershire. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve over hamburger buns.

Tuesday: Homemade Pizza

Wednesday: Savory Pot Roast

3 1/3 lbs. beef chuck roast

1 oz. pkg. ranch salad dressing mix

1.35 oz. pkg. onion soup mix

.87 oz. pkg. brown gravy mix

1/2 cup warm water

Place roast in slow cooker. Mix dry ingredients together and sprinkle over roast. Pour water into slow cooker around roast. Cover and cook on low setting for 6-7 hours.

Thursday: Penne with Chicken and Pesto

16 oz. penne pasta

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. olive oil

4 chicken breasts cut into thin strips

2 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup pesto

3 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Boil large pot salted water. Cook pasta 8-10 minutes and drain. Heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Saute chicken and garlic until chicken is almost done. reduce heat and stir in salt, pepper, cream, pesto, and parmesan. Cook until chicken is done. Stir in pasta.

I like to use the frozen, cooked chicken strips in place of cooking the chicken. It is much faster.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday : Leftovers

I haven't tried the pot roast yet...we will see how it turns out.

Weekly Meal Plan

So I thought I would really get into this blog thing..I love reading other people's blogs-looking at pictures, trying out new ideas, and sadly and ashamedly coveting other's craft rooms/craft items. It just isn't for me. I have little free time during the day to myself and to try to upload pictures and titles and ideas isn't working for now...maybe someday when the kids are older. For now I am using our blog as a weekly meal planner for myself. Each week I plan meals for the week, making a grocery list off of that, and try to only shop for what we need....sometimes it gets hard at Wal-mart. I am going to try to use it as a reference for meals that work for our family. I thought it may be awesome if someone else could find it beneficial too. So I am going to give it a try...I can't promise that the meals are going to be the greatest or the most nutritious(we are striving for that one), but they will be meals that work for two young children and a pretty picky husband (who I love dearly=).

January 3-9

Monday: Chicken Cacciatore
1 lb. boneless,skinless chicken breasts
26 oz. jar chunky garden vegetable spaghetti sauce
1 zucchini, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
cooked wide egg noodles or spaghetti
Garnish: black olives and shredded Parmesan cheese

Place chicken in a slow cooker; pour sauce over top. Add vegetables. Cover and cook on low setting for 6-8 hours. Spoon over wide egg noodles or spaghetti pasta. Garnish. Serves 4.

Tuesday: Lasagna
1 12 oz. package oven ready lasagna noodles
1-2 large tubs of cottage cheese
2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 eggs slightly beaten
1 tsp. dried basil
26 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1 lb. lean ground beef, cooked and drained

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In medium bowl, combine, cottage cheese, 1 cup Mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, eggs and basil. Mix well.
In another medium bowl, combine the pasta sauce, water, and ground beef. Mix well
In 9''x13'' pan, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce. Place 1/3 of lasagna over sauce. Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture over lasagna; top with 1/3 of meat sauce. Repeat layering once. Top with remaining lasagna then sauce.
Sprinkle with remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Wrap the lasagna tightly with a double layer of foil. Bake for 60 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 9-12 servings.

Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Meatloaf
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 egg
1 tsp. instant minced onions
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce (divided)
1 Tbsp. Worcester sauce
Sneak this in:
green onion, carrot, and sometimes a little onion...place all these in a small food processor and chop/grind it into little pieces. Add as much or as little as you like...you really can't taste it and it makes it more moist. I usually add about 3/4 cup of the mixture. Whatever is left, I put in the freezer to use for another time.
TOPPING:
Reserved tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
3Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. prepared mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all ingredients except for the topping. Form into a loaf in a 9x5x3 pan. Bake for 60 minutes. Bring topping to a boil-pour over meatloaf and bake an additional 15 minutes more. Cool 15 minutes before slicing.

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Out to dinner

Saturday: Stir Fry- I like this meal because it is simple and fast. I usually always have the ingredients for this one.
1 bag frozen stir fry vegetables (I prefer the great value brand delux broccoli)
a few tablespoons Kinkomann stir fry sauce
half of a bag of frozen, cooked chicken breast strips ( I like the Tyson brand)
Rice
Frozen egg rolls

In a hot skillet, pour in stir fry sauce and frozen vegetables. Cook until slightly tender. (I like to cover mine to almost steam them a bit to make it more tender). Add chicken and cook about 2-3 minutes. Stir frequently. Cook rice as package states. Warm up egg rolls.

Sunday: Frozen Pizza- by the time we get home from Awana it is late and we need something simple and quick...Jon warmed the oven up one week and put the pizza in...ever since then Audrey is convinced that Daddy is the best pizza maker.